“And the LORD passed by before him, and proclaimed, The LORD, The LORD God, merciful and gracious, long-suffering, and abundant in goodness and truth” (Exodus 34:6 KJV). The word itself appears for the first time in the Bible just a little later, when Moses returned to the mount to get a firsthand glimpse of God’s glory. Those people deserved to be punished, but God delayed the application of His righteous indignation against them that is the essence of long-suffering. Which was more important to him, the preservation of the existing nation or the personal honor of becoming the founder of a new nation? He passed the test beautifully and prayed for God to stay His hand of judgment. That offer to Moses presented him with a serious test. God said that they were obstinate, or more literally, that they had hard necks, necks that would not bow to His will in spite of His goodness to them. Now then let Me alone, that My anger may burn against them, and that I may destroy them and I will make of you a great nation’” (Exodus 32:9-10). “And the LORD said to Moses, ‘I have seen this people, and behold, they are an obstinate people. That would be enough to try anyone’s patience, and it sorely tried God’s. It was inexcusable! God had performed one miracle after another to deliver them from their bondage and bring them to this place, yet they turned their backs on Him when He did not meet their expectations. Because it took him a little longer than they anticipated, they got edgy and demanded that Aaron fashion them new gods to lead them to their promised land. They were about as exasperating as anybody could be, and it was never more evident than when Moses lingered on Mount Sinai, receiving the law from God’s hand. If we want to understand God’s long-suffering we must go back to His relationship with His Old Testament people Israel. It is part of God’s nature to be slow to anger. But there is one person whose endurance level is always supremely higher than ours. Our breaking point probably varies from day to day, and on any given day everybody’s breaking point is slightly different. When was the last time you felt at the end of your tolerance level with people? “If he says that one more time, I’m going to scream.” “If she does that to me again, I’m going to walk right out that door.” “If you kids don’t quiet down by the time I count to three, I’m going to wale the tar out of you.” “If that telephone rings one more time, I’m going to pull it out of the wall.” We may not carry through with our threats, but the fact remains, our nerves are frazzled, our patience is exhausted, and we feel we are about to have a nervous breakdown.
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